The Odd Cooper Family
by Dreamer171N
Summary: Far away from the Mushroom Kingdom, Beanbean Kingdom, and Donkey Kong Island, there is a land, where creatures of all size and shape come to try and live a normal life without the worry of a tyrant dragon-like king kidnapping a princess or tiki mask monsters that try to take over. But nothing goes the way they want it and chaos always rains down on them.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not any of the Mario characters , all belong to Nintendo.**

 **The Odd Cooper Family**

A young woman ran down the streets of New Star City in a hurry. Her orange hair whipped in the air. Running after her were two big koopas. One wearing pink sunglasses and the other had a birth mark on his left eye, the shape of a star. The women pushed past toads, koopas, shy guys, kritters and much more. Some looked surprised and others looked outraged. A few shouted unkind words.

"Excuse me! Out of the way! Move it!" the koopa with shades yelled.

"Oof! Augh! Sorry!" the other one behind cried, bumping into everyone.

The women ran across the street, nearly getting hit by a car and then took a sharp right, landing her in a dead-end alleyway. The Koopas were right behind her, blocking the exit. "Nowhere to run, Mama Daisy!"

Daisy turned around to face them, a smile on her face. Her turquoise eyes twinkled. "That's what you think, Roy!" With that, she side-kicked against the wall and grabbed onto a fire escape ladder, climbing to the top of the building. If Roy's eyes could be seen, anyone would have seen how wide they gotten.

"Come on, Morton!" he yelled as he climbed up the ladder. Morton who was trying to catch his breath, groaned and reluctantly followed. Above, Daisy was running on rooftops, getting farther away. Roy took out his phone and speed dialed Ludwig's number. He answered immediately. "What's new?" Ludwig asked.

"She heading towards Kokoro River." Roy replied.

"Good, if she keeps running in that direction, the rest of us can regroup and corner her. She'll be right where we want her to be."

Daisy ran until she reached the edge. The street below was too wide to jump over. Spotting another fire escape, she used it to reach ground again, where she ran into three more koopas. Wendy, Iggy and Larry stood before her. With a wild psychotic laugh, Iggy walked towards Daisy. "We got you now, Mama!"

"Just come with us nice and quiet and there won't be any trouble." Wendy said.

"I'm never going back, there! Not after what he did!" Daisy shouted. Panic was visible in her eyes.

Larry spoke up, "Calm down, Mama D-"

"Don't call me Mama and then say my real name! It makes me think…of her…." She clenched her fist. The three koopalings looked at each other, worried. Daisy took that chance and burst into a run.

"You let her get away!" Iggy shouted.

"Uh, hello! Your bigger than us! You should have tried to grab her!" Wendy yelled.

"It was you who was supposed to be watching her!" Larry said to Wendy.

"What the heck are you guys still doing here!" Roy yelled, climbing down the fire escape. "You're suppose to be following her!" Morton was right behind him.

"What took you so long to come down?" Wendy asked, annoyed.

"Had to stop, cause Morton looked like he was going to pass out." Morton smiled sheepishly and muttered a sorry.

Meanwhile, Daisy had stopped running after a few blocks, believing she had lost them. Leaning against the metal rail, she admired the view of Kokoro River. That was until a soft voice spoke to her. "Hi, Mama. How are you?" Daisy spun around to face a small koopa. Lemmy smiled up at her with innocent eyes. With a gasp, Daisy stepped back. Her only weakness: Lemmy's adorableness. "Don't run away, ma. Stay with us. We'll be one big happy family." His voice was light and soft and his eyes were wide with innocence.

Daisy shook her head, her mouth opened and closed, trying to speak, but no words came out. Suddenly, two strong arms wrapped around her. Morton had grabbed her from behind. "No!" shouted, Daisy, struggling to get away.

"Mother, please calm down." Ludwig said as he walked up to her. "We're doing this for your own good." He turns to the rest of the koopalings." Let's go. He's waiting for her." With that, the Koopalings took Daisy away. It seemed like forever, with Daisy struggling to get away, but they soon arrived at their destination.

Starhall Hospital.

"I told you…I'm fine! You guys worry too much! Dr. Broad doesn't have to see me! I'm perfectly healthy!" Daisy shouted, gaining a few looks from passersbys. Dr. Broad was a Beanish who was the family doctor and counselor.

"Having dizzy spells is not normal, Mother." Ludwig said firmly. "You almost fell in the shower this morning. You could have been seriously injured. This could be because the blood cells aren't getting enough nutarians or- "

"Everybody step aside." Roy said, teasingly as he raised his hands. "Doctor Ludwig is back!"

Daisy sighed. It was no use trying to argue with Ludwig when it came to the family's health. "Lets just get this over with…"

"Stars! Ma acted like we were bringing her to Bowser by the way she panicked." Iggy said to Roy as they entered the hospital.

 **Chapter1: Starting the Day**

 _Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep!_ The alarm clock went off making Ludwig wake up. **6:00 am.** Quickly, he shut it off and rubbed his eyes. Then slowly he climbed down from the top bunk and headed into the bathroom. On the bottom bunk, Roy shifted and mumbled something in his sleep. Across was another bunk bed, holding Iggy (top) and Morton, (bottom) who was snoring loudly. In the corner of their small room was a smaller bunk bed. Larry (top) and Lemmy (bottom) were sleeping. Larry's leg was dangling and Lemmy was holding a small ball near his chest. The apartment was quiet. After getting ready, Ludwig walked into the kitchen to prepare breakfast for the family. Oatmeal for him, egg sandwich for Roy, sugar frosted cereal for Iggy and Larry. Pancakes, scrambled eggs and bacon for Morton, who had a big appetite, waffles for Lemmy, a protein shake for Wendy and for Daisy, Ludwig sighed. She didn't like eating anything in the morning. He decided to make her some toast, just in case.

Checking the time on his wrist watch, Ludwig hurried to Wendy's room and knocked. "Wendy? It's time to get up. Come on. None of us want to be late…again." He then went back to the kitchen to flip the pancakes. Wendy trudged into the bathroom, a towel in one hand. He could hear her turn on the faucet and hear the rush of the water. He gave a silent prayer to the stars that she would hurry up. She always took the longest to get ready. There was loud scream from the bathroom, making Ludwig jump. The sunny side up egg broke, yoke spilling. Two thoughts ran in his mind, either she saw a bug in the bathroom or….

"THERE'S NO HOT WATER!"

Ludwig sighed, today was not the day for the building's boiler to break down. Acting fast, he takes out two big stock pots and pours water into them, filling it close to the top, then places both pots on the stove, turning the flame high. He would have to keep checking up on the water to make sure it didn't get too hot. A door slammed open and Ludwig already knew what was going to happen. Daisy shot out of her room, livid. "I THOUGHT I TOLD YOU TO NEVER SCREAM LIKE THAT!" she roared as she slammed on the bathroom door with her fist.

"You would scream too if ice cold water hit your head!" Wendy shouted.

"You sound like you were getting murdered! Waking everybody up! You should be ashamed!" she went on and on till her voice got hoarse. The she went back to her room, slamming the door shut. Ludwig tested the water, still cold. He could hear Morton's heavy footsteps walk to the second bathroom across from their room. The second bathroom was smaller, containing only a toilet and a sink. A clattering noise from the second bathroom meant that Morton dropped his toothbrush and knocked over the shelf. Ludwig already mentally put that on his list of chores. Iggy came out and went straight to the living room's floor length mirror, staring at himself and muttering unintelligible words. His eye was twitching and he was looking around as if he was going to be attacked by someone. On the list of chores, Ludwig reminded himself to give Iggy his medications. Checking his watch again, he finished up breakfast for Roy, Morton and himself. As he ate his oatmeal by standing up, he took out the blender and grabbed some fruits from the fridge. Quickly he rinsed them, chopped them up, ate some oatmeal and put them in the blender. Wendy came up to him.

"The water is still cold! How are the pots on stove going, are they warm yet?" She looked irritated and was glaring at the oven. Ludwig checked. "Almost ready." He said. "And here, your shake." He pours the drink into a tall glass and hands it to her.

"Thanks-Iggy no!" Wendy yelled as Iggy ran into the bathroom. "I'm not finished!"

"You would have never finished at the rate you were going!" He crackled and slammed the bathroom door, locking it. "A little cold water never hurt anybody!"

Wendy stomped her foot in frustration and went to her room, shake in hand. Morton came out the bathroom and sat at the table. "Thanks, Ludwig!" he said cheerfully and began to eat. This time Roy went after Morton. Ludwig checked the water in the pot. A little bit hot, but it was good enough. When Roy came out the bathroom, Ludwig asked if he could place the pots in the tub for Wendy and the kids when Iggy finish. Roy nodded as he ate his sandwich. Not too long after, Iggy came out the bathroom, towel wrapped tightly around his shoulder and hunched backed. His teeth chattered, but he had a crazed smile on his face. "Nothing like a good cold shower to start the day, right dear brothers?" He went to his room to get dressed. Roy rolled his eyes and headed for the shower, pots in each arm. Everything seemed to go well, Wendy used the warm water to clean herself, Roy, Morton and Ludwig were okay with taking cold showers and the pots were refilled and placed on the stove for the youngest koopalings. Checking the time, Ludwig headed back to his room and woke Larry and Lemmy. Larry woke up first, his bright blue hair messy. With a yawn, he left the room, Lemmy headed towards the dining area, where a plate of waffles waited for him.

 _So far, so good…_ Ludwig thought as he watched his family from the kitchen. Roy was watching the news, Iggy next to him, on his phone. Morton was talking to Wendy who was checking herself out in the mirror and Lemmy was eating. Once Larry was done in the bathroom, Ludwig would go after him to give it a quick clean. He never liked leaving a mess behind, it would mean more work by the end of the day. As Ludwig gave the bathrooms a quick clean and Larry ate his cereal, Daisy came out from her room.

"Feeling better, Mother?" Ludwig said calmly as he wiped the floor with a mop. Daisy grunted and went to the bathroom, the sink water turning on. After brushing her teeth, Daisy said, "Your sister better stop screaming like that or…." she didn't say anything else and instead went to the living room to watch the news.

"Morning, Ma."

"Good morning, Mom!"

"Hey, Ma!"

"Hi, Mama!"

"Good morning, Mommy."

Daisy greeted her sons and when she saw Wendy, she glared. Wendy avoided her eyes, pretending to be busy with her bow on her head. Meanwhile the news was going on,

"Crime rate in the city has increased, police are getting reports of disturbances at night from groups of four to five.' A shyguy said. "Corner grocery stores and pedestrians have been mugged the past few days and a few disappearances have occurred. Police have been sent to keep watch on neighborhood areas such as Sundown Park, ("That's where Waluigi lives at. Not too far!"-Iggy) Starry Island, ("Of course."- Daisy) and Scarlet Hook. ("Just when the crime rate there was going down…"-Ludwig) We advise viewers to stay safe and if you see something suspicious, to please report it. On to Valerie with the weather." The screen passes on to a female toad pointing to today's temperature.

"Well boys… and girl… I want you to be very careful out there, when you leave the house and come back…" Daisy said as she sat up. "Ludwig, Roy, Morton, come here!" The three koopas walk up to her. "I shouldn't have to tell you, but watch over your brothers and your sister, alright? Now don't be all on top of their backs and making them feel like they can't cross the street or something. Just make sure their doing okay, got it?"

"Yes, Mother."

"Got it, Ma."

"I understand, Mama!"

"Good." Daisy said and she looked back at the tv. She then leaped up. "Holy stars! Look at the time! You guys gotta go!"

Everyone else jumped up. Larry spilled milk on the floor from trying to run to the kitchen sink, Ludwig bumped into Wendy, Iggy tripped on his own two feet and Roy and Morton wrestled to get to their room first. Lemmy slipped by and ran down the hall. Daisy sighed and got up to help.

"Lemmy, you and Larry have after school, right?" Ludwig asked.

"Yes."

"Then let me pack you some snacks for you. I think Ma will pick you up after school."

"Okay"

"Has anyone seen my makeup bag?!" Wendy yelled.

"You don't need it while you're in school." Roy said as he grabbed some spare change on the table.

"Yes, I do! And you shouldn't be talking! You carry cologne all the time in your bookbag!"

"That's because he's gotta look good for his special girlfriend, Pomona!" Iggy said fluttering his lashes dramatically.

"Pomona?" Wendy said, confused. "Oh! You mean, Pom Pom!

"What are you guys standing around for talking?! Move it!" Daisy snapped as she headed down the hall to the entrance.

"Easy for you to say, you start work a bit later." Mumbled, Roy.

"That's because her boss has feelings for her!" Iggy said

"What!?" Larry asked, mouth wide open.

"That's not true!" Daisy said, pink spots on her cheeks.

"When are we gonna start calling him, Papa or Father?" Iggy went on.

"GET OUT OF HERE! EVERYONE, MOVE!"

The kooplings rushed down the hall, Daisy held the door open for them.

"One! Have a good day as school, Lemmy." Daisy kissed his cheek and pat his head. "Two! Be careful today, Larry. No crazy stunts in school!" She kissed him and ruffled his hair. "Three! Wendy, chill with the makeup, alright? Love ya." She gave Wendy a hard pat on her head as Wendy rolled her eyes. "Four! Morton, honey! Have a good day!" She gives him a kiss and before she could pat his arm, he gives her a bone crushing hug. "Urk! Morton-dear-stop! Ugh…. Five! Stop being annoying, Iggy! Behave!" She smacked his arm and gave him a kiss. "Six! Roy my boy, do good in school today… no skipping class all cause some girl! Tell that to Wendy too, I know she's dating that Boom Boom dude." She glared out the door even though Wendy already left. "Yeah, yeah Ma." Roy said, he tried to move forward, but Daisy held back. "Wait, I need to kiss you goodbye."

"Aw ma, I'm too old for that!"

Daisy grabbed his arm and yanked him down. She gave him a kissed and hit his arm, sending him off. "And finally, seven…Ludwig. I'm not sure if I will be able to pick up, Lemmy after school…I might get out of work late. I'll text you to let you know, also you said you would go to the grocery store to pick up some milk and eggs…. here." She gave him some money. "Oh, and don't forget to take the garbage out."

"Yes, Mother." Ludwig replies.

"Thank you, love you." Daisy said and she kissed his cheek and then pat his arm. As she closed the door, she looked up at the ceiling. "Stars protect them." Then she walked to her room to get ready for work.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2: Larry Cooper**

Downstairs, a yellow school bus waited for Larry and Lemmy. Before leaving the building, the Koopalings all said goodbye to each other. Iggy hugged Lemmy as Ludwig fixed Larry's hair.

"Stay out of trouble and be safe." Ludwig commanded, his voice stern. "Larry, I heard you've been misbehaving in class the past few months. I want you to raise your grades so that you don't get left behind. Pay attention in class."

Roy walked up to Larry and ruffled his hair. "Chill, bro." he said to Ludwig. "It's not Larry's fault that he's an energetic kid. He can't be contained by walls that try to surround him. He's gotta be free!"

Larry smiled up at Roy as Wendy came forward and gave both him and Lemmy a kiss on their cheeks, leaving two bright-pink lip marks.

"Aww Wendy! Now the kids on the bus are gonna make fun of me!" Larry whined as he rubbed his cheek.

Wendy rolled her eyes. "You better get going. You don't want the bus to leave you."

Larry and Lemmy said their goodbyes and ran outside to the bus. Inside it was hectic as children their age shouted and jumped up and down from their seats. The driver, a shy guy, waved at the brothers as they passed to take their seat. Finding a spot in the middle, they sat down and immediately Larry stood up on his seat to talk to a friend who sat behind him. The bus began to move making him jerk to the side.

"Hiya, Larry! Hey, Lemmy." A young chubby toad with glasses and orange spots stood on his seat to greet them. "So, guess what? I brought some of my train collection set with me. It's for the project the history club is making us do." He takes out a toy model of a steam engine.

Larry's eyes lit up. "Whoa…can I see it, Chester?" He reaches out to grab the train and gazes at its gleaming coat of black and red paint. "Wish I could ride that instead of this old dump." There was something about steam engines that Larry loved. Ever since he saw a movie about a train heist and a mysterious murder, in the vast lands of the wild west, he always dreamed to be in a adventure like that. Suddenly the bus hit a pothole shaking Larry out of his thoughts and caused everyone to jump a foot in the air. The toy train almost slipped from his hands. "Ack! That was a close one!" He returned the train back to Chester, who placed it carefully back in his bag.

"So, what are you doing for summer vacation, Chester?" Lemmy asked

"Me and my parents are going to visit my aunt. She lives in the Mushroom Kingdom. I'm kind of disappointed, though. I really wanted to hang out with you guys like last summer. I bet it'll be so boring over there. What about you guys?"

"We'll probably just stay home. Maybe visit the park or go to Starry Island. I really want to go to the amusement park."

"Yeah so we can ride the roller coasters!" Larry said excitedly.

"Or the carousel." Lemmy said hopefully.

"Oh, come on, that's such a boring ride. All it does is go around in a circle, it doesn't even go fast!"

"I also want to ride the Ferris wheel."

Chester looked at both of them, frowning. "You guys are going to have so much fun."

The bus screeched to a halt making everyone fall forward. The bus matron, a sledge bro, stepped off the bus to pick up a child, the whole bus tilted to the side, making everyone grip their seats. A young kritter sitting not too far from them, snickered, "Someone needs to lay off the cheeseburgers!" His friends laughed along with him.

Lemmy frowned. "That guy's a jerk. A few days ago, he was making fun of the students that have classes in the basement. They say his name is Niles. He thinks he's so cool and popular… one day he's gonna get what's he deserves."

Larry was too busy staring out the window. He was already planning on what he was going to do today. A race would be starting soon. Teens from nearby schools would be there and he definitely wanted to join them.

"Larry did you hear me?!" Lemmy said, raising his voice.

"Huh? W-what is it?"

"Never mind..." sighed an annoyed Lemmey.

The school bus rode up and down the streets, picking up children. Finally, it arrived at their school. As they got off, Lemmey looked up at Larry, hopefully. "See you at lunch?"

Larry rubbed the back of his head and looked away, "Um, yeah…about that, I'm not too sure…"

Lemmy sighed again. "I get it. You're planning to ditch school again…You always leave me alone…you know I don't have friends…"

"That's not true! Chester is your friend!"

"Chester always goes to the library during lunch! I get lonely."

"It's not like I leave you alone on purpose, I always ask if you want to come along."

"I'm not leaving the school! I don't want to get in trouble!" Lemmey yelled, then quickly shut his mouth as they passed the entrance, a school security guard stood there watching the students enter. He smiled when he saw Lemmy, but gave Larry a look that clearly said: I'm watching you.

Larry gave a weak smile. He had been caught more than once trying to sneak out of school. Deans and security guards already memorized his face, knew his family members and they definitely knew about his hyperactivity. Inside, it was just as loud as it was in the bus. Larry and Lemmy separated, Chester followed Larry, both were in the same class. They went up to the second floor, room 205. Inside, their classroom, there was in an uproar. Boys were roughhousing, girls were chatting loudly and the teacher was nowhere to be seen.

Chester and Larry looked at each other.

"Do you think the teacher is absent?" Larry asked excitedly.

"I don't know…it could be that she's late…"

Larry slowly followed Chester to his desk. As he sat down he looked out the window. He saw a bird land on a tree, hop up and down a branch, then took off into the clear sky. Larry wished desperately that he was that bird. He wouldn't have to worry about school, no one would be telling him what to do and the best part, he could fly wherever and whenever he wanted to. His feet became restless, his fingers played with pencil shavings he found on his desk. He looked up. Still no teacher. The race didn't start till twelve in the afternoon, but if he left now, he would have all that free time to hang outside instead of listening to a boring lesson.

"Dude…I'm leaving…" Larry said turning to Chester.

"A-are you sure? Just wait a little longer. Here, you can hold the train model some more."

"Thanks, Chester, but I can't. I have to go." Larry stands up and heads to the doorway. Some of his fellow classmates looked up at him, knowing what he was about to do. The hallway was filled with students walking to their classes. Larry took his chance and sprinted down the hall, towards the stairs. He jumped over the steps two at a time, almost knocking into other peers.

"Sorry!" he said without looking back. When he reached the main floor, he came to a sudden halt. There, patrolling the floor was the dean. A koopa with gray slicked back hair and a pointy goatee. He was the dean who handed out the most detentions. His name was Mr. Eldrick, but other students had another name for him that was crude. Of course, they never said it in front of him. Larry frowned, he couldn't just blend in with the crowd so easily. His blue mohawk would make him easy to spot. He waited, hoping something would happen to distract Mr. Eldrick and his wish came true. A student came in with a swaggering walk. He wore a baseball cap, a gold chain around his neck and baggy pants reveling his checkered boxers.

"Mr. Sheldon! I thought we talked about the dress code before!" Eldrick boomed, making other students jump. The dean pushed past the crowd of pre-teens and headed for the kid. Larry took his chance and ran down the hall with his head low. He planned on taking the side exit at the back of the school, but another security guard who knew him well stood in the way, making him jump into the nearest bathroom. The young koopaling crouched down and leaned against the wall, listening for the footsteps to walk by. A strong smell of fruity perfume filled the air. It was then that he realized he had jumped into the girl's bathroom by accident. One girl pointed at him with wide eyes, another had an outraged look on her face and one let out a shriek.

"No, no, no!" Larry whispered frantically. "Shhh! Please, I didn't mean to! I just need to hide from the teacher-!"

"Get out, you pervert!" A girl screamed and Larry scampered out before anything else could happen. He heard his name being called, but he didn't stop to see if it was a friend or an adult. He just kept running, down the hall, pass the classrooms and finally through the doors that lead outside. The bright sunlight blinded him, causing Larry to stumble a bit. He looked around and saw that he made it to the outside. Smiling, he kept it moving. It didn't matter if a teacher saw him leave the building, it didn't matter if he would get in serious trouble. All that mattered was that he was free. The fresh cool air felt good on his face.

A few blocks away from the school, was an old factory. It was unclear what it use to make, it had shut down years ago. The old building was made of gray bricks, all the windows were broken and the fence around the factory were bent and twisted from destructive teens. Climbing over the crooked fence, Larry entered the gray building. Inside it was filthy, dust was everywhere and scaredy rats scurried away as soon as Larry came in. The young koopa paused to listen. Voices could be heard deep within. Creeping forward, he hid behind one of broken-down machines, listening. He knew that if he showed himself, they wouldn't speak the whereabouts of the race, not wanting anyone younger then 15 to join. They felt as if younger kids would slow them down, but Larry felt that wasn't true. He was much more responsible and had more skills then all of them combined. They just didn't want to be beaten by a middle schooler. Walking quietly to get closer, he saw a group of teens.

"Piers said that it's going to start below Somnolent Highway." He heard one of them say. "Winner gets cash prize."

"Aww yeah!" another one shouted, his voice echoing against the peeling walls. "How much?"

"He didn't say. But he better not be cheap about it!"

With that, Larry sneaked out to get his bike ready. He thought about what he could buy with the money. He could use it to get that new water gun he saw on TV the other day. The Drencher 5000. Or he could go to the corner store near his home and try those sweets he never got a chance to eat. He thought about buying a new digital watch that was in style, almost all the kids in school had them. Larry stopped by an empty lot filled with grass as tall as him and junk on the floor left by those who littered. Pushing pass the grass, he went straight to the center of the empty lot and found his bike. Daydreaming as he got on his bike, he headed for Somnolent Highway.

.

.

.

Below the rushing highway stood a crowd of teens and young adults. Larry stood behind one of the pillars that held up the highway and observed the group. He saw those who would be participating and those that would be watching from the sides. But one creature stood out. Niles, the kritter from the bus. Larry figured he got in because of his height. That was the only way he could have fooled them… Larry took a deep breath and rode his bike slowly towards the crowd. He kept his head high and looked straight ahead as heads turned in his direction. Murmurs broke out and a few not so nice teens called out cruel names. Ignoring them, he walked all the way to the one called Piers. The one who always planned the races. He was a tall koopa wearing a red beanie and had a few visible chin hairs. One of his friends nudged him and jerked his head in Larry's direction. Piers turned and looked down a the blue haired koopa.

"What do you want, kid? If it's to join the race, the answer is no."

Larry held up a hand to stop him. "I know that I'm not old enough to join and you'll think I'll get in the way…. but that isn't fair! I'm a thrill seeker like all of you and I want to test myself too. I can prove it! In fact, I believe I can beat most of you guys!"

This time the crowd spoke loudly, their voices were mixed with the sound of cars passing above them.

"Stupid brat!"

"He's got guts."

"Why do kids that age always like to show off?"

Piers stared at Larry and Larry stared back, not giving up.

Finally, after what seemed like forever, Piers smirked. "Alright kid…I'll let you join, but this isn't a kiddie ride. Some of these racers play dirty. Mommy's not gonna be here to wipe your boo boos away."

"That's alright. I'm no crybaby."

"Can we get this race started already?" yelled an annoyed Niles. A few others agreed.

"Alright, alright. Just sign up kid." Piers said and handed Larry a worn notebook. Larry signed and joined the other racers. Standing next to him was Niles.

"I know you…" he said, the wheels in his mind turning as he tried to remember. "You're Larry Koopa."

"Actually, it's Larry Cooper. C-O-O-P-E-R."

"Whatever. You're from the bus. You're related to that rainbow haired freak, right?"

Larry clenched his teeth. "Yeah he's my brother and don't call him a freak!"

"What it's the truth! Have you seen him. He's weak, into circus themes and have you heard the way he speaks. His voice is so small and whimpy!" He laughs. "Anyway, what are you gonna do about shorty?" Niles mocked. "You look like you can't even defend yourself properly. Like one jump on your head will knock you out!" He roared with laughter.

Larry gripped the bike handles tightly. "You think you're so tough!? Ha! You ride the school bus, just like me and my brother! What happened? Too scared of public transportation? Should I tell everyone that the big bad kritter can't take the metro bus?"

Niles' face flushed red and he growled. "You're dead meat! You don't know anything about me!"

"Neither do you, so keep your jaws shut!"

Niles snarled, getting off his bike and for a split-second Larry's body went tense, waiting for a blow.

"BIKERS GET READY!"

Niles gave one last look of hate at Larry and got back on his bike.

"Here's what's going to happen." Piers said loudly. "You guys are gonna race through Emerald Slope all the way to Sundown Park where the old tree stands. Should take you about 15 minutes. We'll meet you at the end." He waves his hand at some cars and vans parked on the side. "Our eyes in the sky will record you so we can have a nice view of what's going on. "Some lakitus float by him with video cameras attached to a string. "And those who win in first place will receive a cash prize. And maybe something better… Remember, you guys are taking the path next to the graveyard." He looks at all of them, grins when he catches Larry's eyes, then moves away. A female toad takes his place, holding a flag. There was a few moments of silence, all that could be heard were the cars on the highway rushing past. A truck blows its horn, making a few watchers jump.

"Ready?!"

3, Larry held on to the handles firmly.

2, His heart beat fast.

1, He looked strait ahead, adrenaline pumping through him.

"GO!" The toad waves her flag in the air.

There was the sound of pedals being pushed and the wheels turning as all eight racers sped off. And for a few seconds Larry, who took off first, was in first place, but the other racers were right behind him. Niles sped right past him yelling something. Larry couldn't hear him with the wind in his ears. It was probably something cruel.

"Don't expect tissue at the end to wipe away your tears when you lose, baby!" One racer said as he past Larry. Ignoring him, Larry pedaled hard. There was the sound of a few engines starting up and cars and vans passed by him. Piers and the other watchers were driving past them. They took a turn and Larry lost sight of them. Looking up head he saw everyone ahead of them, Niles in front, but he didn't panic. He knew that soon he would be in front of them all. The racers took a right turn and rode up the block. Larry already recognized the path that they were going. It was a path where the streets were mostly empty. As they rode up the block, Larry saw something up ahead.

 _Glittery boxes?_ Larry thought. Then he remembered, power ups he seen in Mario Kart. That day him and the family sat in front of the television and watched, live broadcast, as Toad and Yoshi were side by side speeding down the track. The use of power ups had the ability to change things up and that's exactly what happened. Before they knew it, in the end Donkey Kong had won with the help of the mushroom. Now as Larry and the rest of the bike racers reached the question marked boxes, he knew that things were going to be chaotic.

There was the sound of shattering boxes as racers rode into them and he let go of one handle to reach out and grab one. The box shattered as soon as his hand touched it. Immediately, racers began using their power ups. Right behind Niles, a human was preparing to throw his green shell, but Niles threw him off by throwing a fake item box. Before the human could move out of the way, he hit the box and was sent off the road. A dry bones sped past him, in her hands was a banana peel, aiming carefully she threw the peel right in front of Niles, sending him spinning. Both the dry bones and the human passed him leaving him in third place. By then a gap had come between the racers in first, second and third place. Everyone else was falling behind.

In fourth place was a shy guy, who missed the chance to grab a box and was powerless. Behind him was a wiggler, a monty mole, a toad and finally Larry. Larry watch as the toad used his star power up to knock over the mole and wiggler. The wiggler, furious, threw his three red shells blindly. It hit the invincible toad with no affect, the second came and went with the same affect, but the third hit the mole, making Larry pass him. Larry decided to stop watching the other racer's use their power-up and use his. Raising his hand to the sky, he squeezed the lighting bolt. There was a crackling noise and he saw all the racers before him get struck. They shrunk down, their speed slowing down greatly. Larry couldn't help it, he laughed at their tiny squeaks of surprise. He imagined Niles near the front, small and probably getting squashed by the other racers. He passed the wiggler and the shy guy and saw the toad up ahead. His star power ran out and he was back to normal. The racers all took a right turn. What he saw next made him frown. There was lots of traffic on the road. He saw Niles and the toad ride on the sidewalk and the dry bones and the human weave between cars. Larry, noticing the sidewalk was full of pedestrians, decided to weave between the cars. As he pedaled between a van and a motorcycle, he saw the next item boxes ahead. In mid-air. Before Larry could even wonder how he was suppose to reach one, he saw the dry bones make her bike jump onto the trunk of a car, on its roof and then reached out. She grabbed a box and rode down the windshield and onto the road. Car were honking, not only at her, but also at the human who tried to do the same, but failed. The wheel on the front of his bike had hit the bumper of a car making him fall back. A car behind him screeched to a sudden halt. The horn beeped for the longest and the driver rolled down his window to yell. The human quickly got back up, he wasn't looking too well. His skin was pale and sweaty, but he kept going. Niles sped past him on the sidewalk, the toad right behind him. Those that were walking had to jump to the side, their cries of outrage were not heard over the cars honking. Behind Larry, the shy guy threw his banana peel behind him at the wiggler, who was right behind him and spun wildly as the wheel slipped. Monty mole drove up, side by side the shy guy, both gaining on Larry. Meanwhile Larry jumped onto the back of a pick-up truck and up the ramp-like surfboard that was against the truck. For Larry, it was like time slowed down.

The moment his bike flew off the surfboard, he jumped off his bike, spun around and waved at the racers that were behind. And he was able to grab an item box. Turning back to the front, he got back on his bike and the time returned to normal. He winked at the camera the lakitu was holding near him and then looked down. In his hand was a red shell. He flinched at the thought that back then, koopas had to give up their shells for special events. Now and days, they used fake shells made out of hard plastic, which was exactly what Larry had now. He looked up. The dry bones girl was in first, behind her was Niles and the human. Larry was closing in on the human. The poor boy was breathing hard. His skin was white as a sheet of paper. Larry glanced at him. At first, he wanted to make a rude mark about being weak, but instead he called out.

"Hey! Are you okay?" There was no mock in his voice, just concern. The teen didn't answer, he just took a shaking breath and began to slow down. The toad and the shy guy passed him.

 _Maybe his body isn't well enough to do this…?_ Larry thought. _I just hope he feels better._

He focuses back on the race and throws his red shell. It hits the toad and sends him falling behind.

.

.

.

Meanwhile, in Sundown Park, Piers was watching the video of the race. He cursed as the lakitu's camera shook from nearly flying into a streetlight. They weren't professionals like the ones in the kart races, but it was all he got. One of Piers' friend came up.

"Did you see that blue haired kid? The way he jumped off his bike and got back on? And now he's in third place!"

Piers smiled and watch as Larry rode through the small gaps between the cars. "Yeah… I know."

Larry pedaled faster. He could see the cemetery coming. Suddenly a blooper hovered around his head. He knew what was going to happen.

"Aww come on!"

Black ink drenched him and he was blinded. He let out a shout, letting go of one handle to rub his face. The sound of a horn scared him, making him swerve to the side. He hit a bump and fell to the ground. Luckily, he fell on the edge of the sidewalk. The sound of more then one horn was in the air. Larry jumped up and looked behind him, a scary image laid before him. Cars were scrambled all over the road. A traffic jam he'd only see on the news, made his heart pound and not in a good way. Due to the delivery truck making a sharp turn, it blocked the road, its tall stacks of crates made it impossible to see the other racers or any other smaller vehicles. Did anyone get hurt? Did anyone… die? Filled with fear, he clenched his fists and was about to go back and check on them when one of the lakitus came flying down.

"What are you doing?!" he cried, shaking the video camera violently. "Everyone back there is fine! Keep going!"

It took a few moments for that info to sink in. "They're…. the others are okay?" Larry asked shakily.

"Yes!" The lakitu said impatiently. "They're just stuck between cars! Get going before the police arrive! You can still make it! GO!"

As he said that, Larry saw the shy guy emerge from the mess of vehicles, but before he could even get on his bike, a driver grabbed him. She yelled at him, saying that she would make him pay for messing up her car and took out her phone out.

Larry immediately got going. No way was he gonna get caught by the authorities. He heard one of the angry drivers yell at him. Larry moved quick, he picked up his bike and looked up, noticing that Niles and the dry bones girl were not too far away. They too had stopped to see what was happening. As soon as Niles saw Larry jump on his bike and ride towards them, he sped away. The dry bones girl stood behind a worried expression on her face.

"Hey!" She called out and she stood in front of Larry's path.

Larry slowed down, but didn't get off the seat. "We need to get moving, people are threatening to call the cops-"

"What about my friend?!" the dry bones asked anxiously.

"Oh, they're all fine. The lakitu told me." Larry was looking around, hoping no one would notice that they were part of the race.

"So, Edwin's okay, right? He's the human…" she kept looking at the traffic jam.

"The human…?" Larry asked distractedly. He thought about how Niles was far ahead, how the police could be on their way. "Yeah, he's fine, though I think he's a bit sick."

"Sick?!"

"Look, I gotta go!" And he took off. He took a quick look behind and saw her heading towards the traffic jam. He hoped everything was going to be alright. And then he heard it. The sound of a siren. Not looking back, he kept going, putting all his energy into pedaling faster. He decided to ride on the sidewalk which was clear now.

The graveyard's lush green grass and towering trees were passed by on his left side. Emerald Cemetery was known to be the biggest graveyard and the most beautiful. Unlike most other graveyards that were usually exposed to the weather and considered creepy, this cemetery was well taken care of. The grass was trimmed, the tombstones were cleaned, flowers were well cared for, there was even a lake somewhere in the middle. But what it was really well known for was the owner. Right in the center of the cemetery was a majestic mansion, home to King Boo. Or better known as K. B, as most friends and acquaintances would call him. As Larry rode past Emerald Cemetery, he thought about how lucky he was that King Boo was not around to see him out of school. He would have stopped Larry and called Daisy or Ludwig on him. Trying not to think about how much trouble he would be in if he did get caught, he put his mind on Niles. Way up ahead, Niles was almost a speck in the distance. Larry let out a tired sigh, there was no was beating Niles to the finish. He thought about quitting now and just heading back to the school… but then thought about the cash prize, about proving to Piers that he could win, he thought about Niles who made fun of Lemmy and that thought made him filled with anger and determination. He saw the next row of mystery boxes on the sidewalk and grabbed one. As soon as he felt an item form in his hand, he looked down and gasped.

 _A bullet bill?!_ He thought, shocked. _How? I'm just in second place._ The bullet bill shined under the sun. _Mom always said these mystery boxes were rigged._

Without a second thought, he gripped the bullet bill and the next think he knew, he was speeding down the street. Larry felt his eyes water, everything was passing him in a blur of colors. It wasn't till he returned back to normal that he realized the cemetery was gone and that he was at the edge of Sundown Town. Niles was right in front of him. The kritter was looking back at him with a dumbfounded look.

"Hey there!" Larry said with a grin. Soon they were side by side.

"You cheater!" Niles snarled and he tried to shove Larry off his bike with a swing of his fist. They passed a gas station, a bowling alley and a parking lot.

"Cheater? I don't remember Piers giving out any rules."

"How did you get a bullet bill?!"

"Luck, I guess."

Nile swung his arm, but Larry moved out the way. Stores and small apartment buildings were passed.

"You'll never win!" Niles said panting hard.

Larry didn't respond back, he too was getting tired, but he was almost there. He could see the park coming up. They kept going, pass restaurants, bakeries, ninety-nine cents stores and finally, at Sundown Park.

Sundown Park was on the biggest hill in the area. On the top was a huge tree. The oldest of all the trees in the park. Some of the townspeople called it the Grandfather Tree. At the corner of the park was an entrance, both Larry and Niles rode up the path. They were really feeling the burn now as they biked up the hill. Their speed slowed down greatly _._ Larry felt like he would never make it. There seemed to be no more mystery boxes. He could really use a mushroom for a boost. It was then that he heard Niles chuckle. He was a few feet behind Larry. Larry suddenly had a bad feeling. Before he knew it, Niles whipped out a green shell and threw it. He had been saving it for this moment. Larry couldn't move out of the way in time. He got struck and the blue haired koopaling was flipped in the air. He landed on his back painfully and the air was knocked out his chest. Niles laughed, passing him.

"No!" Larry got up stiffly and got on the bike, but before he could get on, a hand clamped on his shoulder.

"That's enough young man!"

Larry felt his heart stop for a beat and then slowly turned around. A koopa paratroopa police officer glared down at him. Larry's throat went dry. Another officer joined them. He was a human.

"Let's go get your friend." He said.

They walked to the top of the hill. For a split second, Larry thought about running away, then he wondered what would happen if the police found out it was Piers who planned the race. Finally, he thought about what Daisy would say when she found out he was caught by the police. Or worse, if Ludwig found out.

There by the Grandfather Tree was Niles, looking foolish, trying to find Piers and his friends who were nowhere to be found.

 _They must have ditched when they heard about the accident._ Thought Larry. The second officer, went up to Niles, who's eyes seemed to pop out when he saw the officer. They spoke a bit and when the policeman tried to grab his arm, Niles pushed him away and took off on his bike, escaping.

"Damn!" The policeman said, clenching a fist. He turned to Larry. "You don't know how much damage you caused!" Larry flinched.

"Let's go back to the cruiser and circle the area." The koopa paratroopa officer said. "Come on kid."

And Larry, who had no choice, let himself be led to the police car, filled with dread.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3: Wendy O. Cooper**

Wendy O. Cooper watched as the old school bus drove away, leaving smoke behind from the exhaust pipe. When the gas cleared, Ludwig finally spoke. "Well, they're off… and we should get going too. Come on." The five of them began to walk towards the train station. For a minute, it was quiet, a few cars passed by and some small birds chirped as they perched on telephone poles. Then Roy spoke.

"So, I heard you have a boyfriend."

Wendy who was walking ahead of the group, stopped and turned around. "That is not true." She had an annoyed expression. "Where did you get that from?"

"Well, Ma told me-"

"Well, she doesn't know anything!"

"Wendy." Ludwig said calmly. "Don't say that."

"She's wrong! She's always trying to find something from me to complain about!"

"That is not true. She only wants the best."

"She only wants to bother me!"

Roy's temper flared up. "What is your problem with her?!"

Before Wendy could yell back a response, Iggy interrupted.

"It was me…I told her." Iggy said.

Wendy turned to face him and stared at him for a few seconds. They were all looking at her and she felt a bit embarrassed, but that only made her even more upset. "I should have known you were involved! You like to lie and she likes to complain."

Roy snarled. "Listen here you little-!"

"It's okay, it's okay! I got this!" Iggy shouted. Roy stopped, Ludwig had his mouth open, about to say something and Morton was watching with a worried expression.

Iggy looked at Wendy with disappointment in his eyes. "Wendy, Ma isn't trying to find any faults in you and I am not lying! In fact, instead of snapping at us, you should be checking your so-called best friend, Rocks or something!"

"You mean Roxy? She told you this?" She paused, looking unconvinced. "…You're lying, as always!"

"No, I'm not. She came to our high school and was hanging out on the football field with some older dudes. Last Monday, at 12 PM, in case you need more details." He said, rolling his eyes.

"Monday…? But she said she was sick…" Wendy said, mostly to herself.

"Some friend, leaving you behind!" Roy said.

"Look, it's none of my business or yours, to know where she's at all the time. If she wanted to be alone then it's her choice! Now can we just please stop talking about this?!"

They had reached the train station.

Ludwig finally spoke up, "All right, we'll let it go for now. But please speak to Roxy about this. I don't want this to become a big problem. Please, Wendy, be careful. Those that we think are our friends, do not always have good intentions for us. "

Wendy turned away from him, walking up ahead to pay for her ride. Roy muttered angrily, shaking his head as he watched her. Ludwig sighed and the rest went in the station. Each passed through the turnstile, swiping their cards and headed down to the platform. Wendy groaned, she had just glimpsed at the arrival board, their train was late, like it always was on the weekdays. The platform began to get crowded as time passed. Finally, after what seemed to take a year and a day, the train arrived. When it came to a stop, Wendy groaned, Roy sucked his teeth and Ludwig looked uncomfortable. The train was packed. The doors slid open and the struggle to find a space began. At first, those who were already inside didn't move at all. The new passengers had to pushed to get in. Roy shouted from somewhere in the crowd. "MOVE IN!" Inside, it was too warm and nearly everyone was on top of each other. Every seat was taken and every pole was gripped from top to bottom by a hand.

"Excuse me." Wendy heard Ludwig say. The five got separated. Only Wendy and Morton were able to stay together. He grabbed her hand so that she wouldn't be left behind. The doors slid closed and the train lurched forward making everyone who was standing, hold tighter to the poles. As the train pulled away from the platform, Wendy's phone chimed. She took it out and saw a message from her friend, Roxanne.

 **Roxy** : _Where r u? Ur gonna be L8! There wont be time 2 show u the gift my aunt brought me from her vacation!_

 **Wendy** : _On my way train delayed as usual_

The train ride was uncomfortable. Everyone was quiet, looking depressed. Someone in the crowd seemed to have morning breath. A Koopa Troopa was eating his greasy breakfast nosily, loud music could be heard from someone's headphones and a baby cried somewhere in the back. Wendy looked around for her other brothers. She spotted Roy, leaning against one of the doors with his arms crossed. He looked upset, maybe because he was right next to the Koopa who was chewing loudly or the human that didn't look so clean. Ludwig was standing by a pole. He was staring down at the floor, lost in his thoughts. Meanwhile Iggy was in the back, trying to cheer the crying baby up. He was making faces and jumping around.

"Watch it!" A Goomba yelled from below.

Wendy sighed and leaned her head against Morton. She felt his hand pat her shoulder. The train arrived at the next station and even though some passengers left, even more creatures came in. The train continued on until Wendy's stop came.

"See ya later." She muttered and pushed herself towards the doors. Morton said his goodbye softly, Ludwig watched her **,** and Iggy, seeing that she was leaving **,** was jumping up and down excitedly, shouting his goodbyes. Wendy blushed, trying to pretend she didn't know him. Roy, who moved away from the doors to let people pass through, was ignoring her, still angry from the argument. She ignored him too. The doors slid open and Wendy was swept away by the crowd. She transferred to a different train, luckily it wasn't so packed and her ride was short. It wasn't long before she arrived at school and she barely made it in time for class. As soon as she went through the school doors, the bell rang. She rushed down the hall, went up the stairs and into her first period class, dance. Inside there was pop music playing and students were warming up, stretching their bodies. The teacher, a human woman, was busy taking attendance. She looked up when the door opened and smiled at Wendy.

"Just in time." She said.

The class was busy warming up. Pop music was on the radio in the corner of the classroom. A voice called out to Wendy and she hurried over to the back, where a group of girls were waiting. Four girls, a Koopa with wavy lavender colored hair, a Kritter with heavy mascara, a toad with big glittery earrings and finally a yellow Shy Girl with a small bow on the side of her head.

"There you are!" said the Koopa with curly hair. "You're late!"

"Chill, Roxy. You know how the trains are. They're always running late." Said Wendy.

"Well, class is gonna start so I won't be able to show you what I got."

 _What a shame_. Wendy thought sarcastically with a roll of her eyes. "Just show me after class or during lunch."

The teacher walked up to the front of the class. "Alright class, it's time to get started."

.

.

.

Fourty-five minutes later the class walked out the room out of breath. But none were exhausted like the yellow **S** hy **G** irl, who was the last to leave. Wendy waited for her in the hallway.

"All right there, Amber?" Wendy said with a smile.

Amber took in a few shuddering breaths before answering. "F-fine…! That new dance was so fast-paced!"

Wendy laughed, "I loved it! The music was so catchy, I'm gonna look it up on my phone!"

The Kritter walked up to them, grouchy looking. "I disagree, that dance made me sweat and it messed up my makeup."

"And that's why, Zahara **,** we're heading to the restroom." Roxy said, grabbing her arm. "Now come on, Wendy. I can finally show you my gift!"

Wendy who was on her phone looked up annoyed. "Yeah, yeah."

The girls all walked together through the crowded hallways and towards a restroom that was less full. Once they headed into the bathroom, Zahara took out her makeup bag from her purse and began fixing her face. Roxy was spraying herself a fruity smelling perfume and Wendy was appl **ying** a new coat of pink lip gloss. Amber went to an empty stall and the Toad, called Mini, was adjusting her glittery earrings.

"Like I was saying, I had like the biggest argument with my mom. They want to move back to the Mushroom Kingdom and I'm all like, no way! The malls over there suck, the towns are boring and who wants to be constantly surrounded by spineless Toads!"

"That sounds horrible." Zahara said as she leaned over the sink to apply her mascara. "Speaking of the Mushroom Kingdom, I heard Princess Peach made a new friend. Rose or Linda or something?"

Roxy spoke up. "Rosalina! Oh my stars, she is gorgeous!"

"Totally!" Wendy said in agreement, nodding.

Amber's voice piped up from behind the closed stall door. "Wendy, isn't your mom, Daisy, friends with both of them?"

Wendy winced at the mention of her guardian's name. She didn't really want to talk about her. "Err, no. She told me and my brothers that she cut ties with them."

"All of them!" Mini said suddenly. "Rumors is that she stopped going out with Luigi."

"Yeah and now she hangs out with those wannabe bad-guys, Wario and Waluigi. They're total bums!" Roxy added with a disgusted look.

Wendy looked down in shame. Why couldn't Daisy be cool? Why didn't she stay with her old friends, Superstar Mario and the beautiful Peach? And worse of all….

"I heard that she's not even a princess anymore." Mini said.

All the girls in the bathroom stared at Wendy, Amber too as she came out from the stall. Wendy didn't know what to say. She wished in the back of her mind that she didn't live with Daisy in a cramped apartment. That she lived in an extravagant castle and parents that were cool and let her do whatever Wendy wanted to. Finally, she looked up and stared into the mirror. Her face was emotionless.

 **"** My… dearest guardian…" Wendy said as she fixed her bow, "Told us that she told her father that she was tired of being royalty…. well, look where it got her…. where it got us! Living in a too small apartment and a job that doesn't pay her enough! Why did she even agree to take care of us…? I don't know, but I wished she-she-…" She breaths heavily, not realizing she raised her voice. The girls stared at her with wide eyes.

Wendy breathed a few times to calm herself down. "She's a bit off… not too crazy like Iggy, but just wild in her own way…When I turn seventeen, I can't wait to leave."

Roxy fluffed her purple hair. "Why wait? Why not leave them now?"

"Yeah right, and have everyone in the household be in an uproar? No thanks." She paused to put her lipstick in the bag. "Oh, by the way, Iggy told me this morning that yesterday, you went to his school and told him that I had a boyfriend or something?" She tried to sound casual. "I thought you weren't feeling well that day."

"I was feeling sick, believe me, but by the middle of the day I was feeling better. So, I went out for fresh air. And yes, I was by his school and I was talking about you. I was just telling him how you're such a good friend and that you have a small crush on Boom Boom. That was it, nothing big or anything. I was just joking around."

Wendy looked at her, not sure if she was lying or telling the truth. She wanted to ask her more questions, but didn't want to seem nosey. Around her the rest of the girls were ready to head to the next class.

Mini spoke up. "Are you girls done? The late bell will be ringing soon. Roxy **,** just show her the scepter already!"

Roxy gave her an annoyed look, "Hey, I wanted to tell her! Ugh, fine. My aunt, you know, a Magi-Koopa, she got me my own wand! Look out, Wendy! Soon I'll be in Bowser's army and in a higher position th **a** n you!" She laughed as she took out a silver scepter with a diamond gem on top. Wendy laughed with her, but it wasn't sincere. She knew what Roxy was going to say next.

"So, when will you show us your wand?"

Wendy was about to open her mouth to tell a lie, when suddenly the bell rang. Amber jumped up.

"We're going to be late!" She shrieked and bolted out the bathroom. Zahara followed her and Mimi was right behind her. Before Wendy could step out, Roxy called out to her,

"See ya at lunch!"

"Yeah."

And the pink shelled Koopa was swept away by the crowded halls.

.

.

.

Lunch came too soon for Wendy. As she left math class, she felt a bit nervous, but quickly shook it off. She hated feeling that way.

The cafeteria was loud and the smell of pizza was in the air. Wendy grabbed a tray filled with food and sat down at a table somewhere near the middle of the cafeteria with her friends. Mini was snacking on junk food from the vending machine, Amber had brought food from home and Zahara wasn't even eating anything, just chewing gum. Roxy was nowhere in sight, but not for long, soon she was strutting down the cafeteria as if it were a runway and flipping her hair whenever she passed a boy. Mini gave a dark look at Roxy and muttered, "Slut…"

Wendy who was sitting right next to her pretended to not have heard. "Hey, girls." Roxy said with one last flip of her lavender curls. She had all the boys in the cafeteria staring at her now. A deep feeling of jealousy arose from within Wendy, but she ignored it and instead gave a false smile. Mini at her side was pretending to be busy looking at her compact mirror.

"Hi, Roxy." Amber said politely, looking up from her homemade meal. Roxy wrinkled her nose as she looked down at the food on the table.

"Seriously girl, what are you eating? That looks gross."

"My…. my mom made it…."

"And Wendy, please tell me you don't eat that low-quality lunch crap!?"

Wendy didn't know what to say, luckily though, Zahara came to the rescue.

"Leave them alone, Roxy. What are you going to eat?"

Roxy smiled and twirled a lock of her hair with her finger. "Last period my boyfriend took me out to lunch. Nice little restaurant around the corner."

"Another boyfriend?" Zahara asked with a look of boredom.

Mini snapped shut her compact mirror and finally turned to faced Roxy. "Why didn't you and your boyfriend have lunch now? Why last period?" She had a doubtful tone in her voice.

Roxy laughed lightly. "So I can spend time with you girls!"

"Who's the new boyfriend now, Roxy?" Wendy said, as she picked up her pizza to take a bite.

"Well, your brothers might know him. He goes to their school."

There was a gasp as Amber dropped her spoon, which fell on the floor. "Y-you're, dating a high schooler?! That could be d-dangerous! He's so much older than you! H-he might not be a good guy! He… he…"

"Amber, enough!" Roxy said loudly, looking irritated. "I don't have time to listen to your worries! Look, you wouldn't understand, you **'** r **e** kind of like a baby…" She made her voice gentle as if not to hurt her feelings, but Wendy noticed Amber went very quiet and despite the mask over her face, Wendy was pretty sure the poor Shy Girl was hurting. "You're close to your mom and she's a bit overprotective…" Roxy continued. "Sweetie, what I'm trying to say is, you don't know what it's like to be… You just don't have the personality to be outgoing and stuff like that, know what I mean?" Roxy gave what she thought was a kind smile. Amber nodded slowly, then said quietly. "I need to get another spoon…" She got off her seat and nearly ran to the kitchens. Zahara had a look of concern.

"I think… I'll grab a tray of food now that the line has shortened…" She stood up and followed Amber. Meanwhile Mini was on her phone, ignoring them all. Wendy was just about to get up and join Zahara and Amber, but Roxy placed an arm around her shoulders and was leading her in the opposite direction. "Girl, we need to talk!"

They headed to the corner of the cafeteria where it was a bit less crowded. Roxy stopped and put both hands on each of Wendy's shoulder and whispered, "Look… I get it."

Wendy gave a look of confusion. "Get what? I don't understand…"

"I know why you don't carry your wand around, why you don't talk about your job **,** and why you act like your just some normal girl."

Wendy looked away. "It's alright, whatever."

"No, it's not!" Roxy had risen her voice, then lowered it again and in a soft tone, but with real sincerity unlike with Amber, she said. "I know what it's like… living a boring life, when we could be living like queens! I mean come on! We work for King Bowser! We're part of his army and we're Koopas! The strongest species!"

A Kritter nearby gave her a dirty look. Wendy was surprised at Roxy's sudden excitement. It made her think of Larry's enthusiasm. She let a smile slip out.

"That's right, girl!" Roxy flipped her hair with a confident smile. "Be proud of who you are!"

Wendy giggled, but her smile soon faded. "I wish I could be proud, but I live… I know I should be happy with a roof over my head, but-"

"You deserve better!" Roxy nodded. "We deserve better!" She looked restless now and was looking around, as if seeing everything for the first time. "My parents… they're so… submissive! You know, my grandparents and their grandparents were part of the Dark Land Army!" She clenched a fist. "We were warriors, we had respect! Now… others think us Koopas are weak. But i **t** doesn't have to be that way!" she looked at Wendy. "Wendy… I have a plan!"

"What is it?" Wendy asked, humoring her.

"Come with me." She led her out the cafeteria. The hallways were empty and their footsteps echoed. Roxy walked into one of the empty classrooms. Except it wasn't completely empty. There was a group of girls hanging out. All humans. Three of them. Wendy recognized one of them. A few weeks ago, she saw the girl and Roxy arguing in the hall. Roxy had a defeated look. What it was about, she never told Wendy and Wendy never asked her. Now they entered the classroom. The group of girls stopped talking and looked up.

"Hey, Chelsie." Roxy said in a false sweet voice. "How are you?" Then she whipped out her scepter and casted a curse, turning Chelsie into squirrel. The rest of the girls squealed, jumping up. One tried to run away, but with her diamond tip wand, Roxy slammed the door shut.

"What do you want?!"

"What I should have done a long time ago." She pointed her wand at the girl, but the last member of the group, stood up.

"You think you're the only one who knows magic?" She was a heavy one. Not so much fit, but more muscles. From her bookbag she took out a wooden wand.

Roxy laughed. "What is that?! Oh yeah, now I remember. I forgot humans have wands that look pathetic! Where did you get that from, a nearby tree?!"

Though Roxy was laughing with confidence, Wendy was eyeing the wooden wand with unease. Despite its weak look, she seen what those things were capable. It all depended on the user's determination. And the owner of the wand in front of them was getting angrier by the second as Roxy continued to mock her.

"Human aren't even that good when it comes to magic." Roxy said, with a flip of her hair and a giggle. Wendy gave her a warning look. The other girl who tried to run away was in the corner crying. In her hands she held Chelsie, who was squeaking frantically and trying to escape.

"Please! Don't fight, you'll get expelled!" the crying girl wailed. The heavy girl shook her head.

"No… I'm tired of these Koopas thinking they can keep pushing us around!"

Roxy stopped laughing. "You think WE'RE the ones that push other species around? You humans are so selfish!"

Wendy had a bad feeling it was going to go down this way. Her mind raced on how she was going to defend herself and Roxy. She didn't have her wand with her, but she could use a bit of magic without it. And then she saw it, the girl finally raised her wand high above her head and swung it down. Roxy who was still ranting about how Koopas were never respected, didn't notice till the last second. Her eyes widen at her mistake. Automatically her body tensed as a bright orange light flew towards her. Then she heard a shout from Wendy.

"NO!"

There was clang and more shrieking. In front of Roxy was a glowing golden ring, held by Wendy. It was similar to her bracelets she wore on each wrist, except that the one she was holding was bigger and sparkled. The magic spell the human girl had casted, ricochet off the magical ring and went flying off the walls in the classroom, scaring the girl in the corner, till if finally diminished against the window.

"That's enough!" Wendy said firmly. "Your friend was disrespectful to my friend. She got what she deserved. Now step back, before this gets worse."

The girl with the wand stared at her with wide eyes. Then she started breathing hard in rage. Wendy already knew what would happen next and acting fast she knocked the wand away. It spun in the air and landed near Roxy's feet. Quicker than a Yoshi's tongue snatching fruit off a tree, she grabbed the wand and snapped it like a twig. There was a gasp.

"THAT WAS MY GRANDMOTHER'S!"

 **Wham**! The big girl threw herself at them, causing all three to fall on the floor. She raised a fist, about to slam it down on Roxy's face, the other hand around Wendy's neck. Both struggled underneath the girl's weight. All of a sudden there was a crack and the room lit up so brightly, everyone covered their eyes. Then a loud **boom** shook the classroom and everyone jumped in fright. Wendy, though shocked from the sudden sound, knew this was her chance. Gathering all her strength, she kicked the heavy girl off her and jumped to her feet. Then she swung a golden hoop dangerously near the girl's throat and held it there, the curve was sharper than a knife. The girl backed against the wall, pale from fear. Wendy knew things have gone too far. They could get expelled for sure, fighting and magic was against the rules and taken very seriously.

This time Wendy was breathing hard. "You will never speak of what happened in this room. Do you understand?" The girl nodded quickly. " **'** Cause if you do, you too will get expelled." Not feeling like that would work, she also added on. "And if we do get expelled, I'm coming for you. I'm not just some random school girl. I'm Wendy, one of Bowser's faithful minions! You obviously heard of him, right. King of the Koopas? Well, keep that in mind. You and your friends.…. Let's go, Roxy!" Wendy headed for the door. Roxy followed, looking wind-swept, but had a calm expression. But before she left, she turned back and faced the girl who was scared in the corner. Even the squirrel in her hands went quiet.

"The curse will lift before the end of the school day. I hope you ladies learned a lesson. Never mess with a Koopa." And then she left.

As the two Koopa girls walked down the hallway that was still empty, they were silent.

"What was that back there?" Wendy finally asked. "That bright light."

"What do you mean?" Roxy said, confused. "Wasn't that you?"

"No…! I think that was lightning!"

"…But how? It's sunny out!"

They both looked out a window. The sun was beaming down on them.

"Whatever it was, it totally helped us out." Roxy said continuing the walk back to the cafeteria. "Wendy, you were awesome back there! You were totally intimidating! You really showed her!"

"…Yeah…"

"Don't be worried! It's like you said. You work for King Bowser!" She put an arm around Wendy. "I can help you! I can get other to respect you. Doesn't that sound great?"

"Yeah." Wendy was busy thinking about what did in that classroom as Roxy talked about getting respect from their peers. She thought about how she frightened the heavy girl. Holding her at bay with her powers. She… liked that. She liked how she saw fear in the human girl's eyes. She felt powerful for a moment. Like nothing could stop her and she wanted to feel like that even more.


End file.
